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Microsoft to license Windows Server source code
”This action goes far beyond compliance with the European Commission's March 2004 decision and exceeds Microsoft's legal obligations to provide companies with the technical specifications of its proprietary communications protocols, the company said. A reference license to the Windows Server source code will provide software developers with the most precise and authoritative description possible of the Windows protocol technologies, Microsoft noted.”
Microsoft's business practices have been under scrutiny for a long time, and this road was one well worn. Microsoft had to relent eventually, though it was more of a time-buying move if anything. The details of the licenses aren't fully public yet, and it may be a “look but don't touch” policy that can restrict how people develop around the new information. Time will tell.
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User Comments (13)
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exscind
on January 25, 2006 9:23 PM |
This seems like a double-edged sword. Microsoft no doubt feels the heat from open source projects that compete directly against Microsoft's products, especially the operatin systems. So this may be a good idea for developers and companies to understand Microsoft's source code in more depth.However, hackers will also undoubtedly get their hands on the source code. Microsoft already has a subpar record of lambasting malwares and worms, I don't see Microsoft improving its track record with its source code available to hackers. |
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vigilante
on January 26, 2006 1:02 AM |
Hackers won't get the code unless they license it themselves. Or steal it from someone else who licenses it.Point is, maybe MS would then have their info on record.Bold move by MS, ESPECIALLY since they are letting loose the SERVER code!! If hackers do learn anything from this, it'll be the big corporate servers they can attack. Certainly not a comfortable thought for businesses running MS servers. |
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Kreuger
on January 26, 2006 7:23 AM |
They should release the code of the desktop OS versions so people can easily find the flaws and start fixing them faster. |
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DragonMaster
on January 26, 2006 7:42 AM |
[quote]Microsoft to license Windows Server source code[/quote]Is that just a dream or what? Is Microsoft really giving away source code?!? How can it be possible! |
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Nodsu
on January 26, 2006 8:10 AM |
No, silly, Microsoft is not giving away the code for Windows Server. And no, it is not going to be much help for the open source community since you have to pay for the All that you get from MS is the bare minimum required by EC - APIs and code for the communication protocols that let your software interact with Windows servers. And don't even think that you are going to get a single byte of extra information out of MS. |
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asphix
on January 26, 2006 8:30 AM |
[b]Originally posted by vigilante:[/b][quote]Hackers won't get the code unless they license it themselves. Or steal it from someone else who licenses it.Point is, maybe MS would then have their info on record.Bold move by MS, ESPECIALLY since they are letting loose the SERVER code!! If hackers do learn anything from this, it'll be the big corporate servers they can attack. Certainly not a comfortable thought for businesses running MS servers.[/quote]A hacker, steal data from someone else?! NEVER! PERPOSTEROUS! How could you ever think of such a thing!All sarcasm aside, thats exactly what will happen. I'm interested in seeing what the results of this will be.. There will be obvious benefits, but its also highly likely the code will slip into the wrong hands at some point. |
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canadian
on January 26, 2006 8:33 AM |
And this, kids, is why linux is better. |
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vigilante
on January 26, 2006 11:03 AM |
Don't people steal Linux code too? lol, just kidding.I've tried Linux a few times, it's cool and everything, but I just couldn't get into the swing of learning how to use it for everything. Games aside, it was still a bit of a learning curve that I wasn't willing to get into fully.Maybe it's time to try again. |
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PUTALE
on January 26, 2006 12:38 PM |
mmmh. MS license the code. I wonder why is MS suddenly willing to license it's code. I thought they are super protective for their codes. |
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nathanskywalker
on January 26, 2006 2:12 PM |
[b]Originally posted by vigilante:[/b][quote]Don't people steal Linux code too? lol, just kidding.I've tried Linux a few times, it's cool and everything, but I just couldn't get into the swing of learning how to use it for everything. Games aside, it was still a bit of a learning curve that I wasn't willing to get into fully.Maybe it's time to try again.[/quote]Yep, same here. I have a copy of linux installed on my secondary system, but i really haven't had time to mess with it and customize it, or even figure out the basics. Probably should do that.As for Windows, well mabye some things will get fixed more quicly now. While it is dangerous to handthe code out(even if you have to be licensed) there are advantages, and if enough people are really willing to work to make windows better, hackers may just get a run for their money 
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MonkeyMan
on January 26, 2006 2:32 PM |
Wow, I'm shocked that Microsoft actually complied with a demand!!!!! I think it was more of a money making decision if anything, I guess they finally realized that you can't bite the dust for too long. |
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mentaljedi
on January 27, 2006 11:30 AM |
Nobody changes overnight and neither does Microsoft. I think this will be a look but don't tocuh policy. And maybe... they'll be ****** and add spyware like SOny... |
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fury
on January 27, 2006 8:14 PM |
Microsoft has too big of an ego to release any critical part of their source code. This announcement that they're going to license source code from Windows Server does not mean that you're going to soon find the whole lot of the Windows source code from NTLDR all the way to the NT kernel plastered up on Bittorrent and Usenet. Trust me, if that happened, some poor sap with a big heart would go in and fix Windows for us all. Just like Apple did with BSD when they were working on OS X |
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